Improvement in apparatus for propelling street-cars by compressed air



W. HY. H. BUWERS.

Apparatus `'for PropeIIingA-Street-Cars by Compressed N0. 42,433. v Patented September2,l873.

WILLIAM II. II. BOWERS, OF FRANKLIN, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING STREET-CARS RY COMPRESSED AIR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,433, dated September 2, 1873; application filed July 30, 1873. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM H. H. BOWERS, of Franklin, in the county of Simpson and in the State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for `lropelling Street-Gars by Compressed Air; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon which form a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of an apparatus for propelling street-cars, 86o., by compressed air, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a side eleva-tion, and

Fig. 2 is a detached sectional view.

A represents a tubular chamber or tank made of boiler iron, and running the full length of a street-car directly under the seat. I have a chamber of this kind on each side of the car. The one on the opposite side is not shown in the drawing, but referred to in this specification by letters B, and its chambers by Bl and B2. Each chamber or tank is divided into two compartments, marked Al A2 and B1 B2, respectively, by means of partitions a a, which compartments are connected together in such a manner byl pipes and valves that the air admitted into the compartment A1 passes into the compartments A2 B1 B2 until the whole are equally charged. Check-valves b b are situated in the partitions a a, as well as in the end of a pipe, d, in the compartment B1, which pipe connects said compartment with the compartment A2. The air is received into the chambers or tanks from the stationary condenser by means of hose and coupling` at e, to which is attached another check valve on the inside of the chamber A1.

4 rIhe air passesfrst into this chamber, then through the check-valve b into .A2, and thence, by the pipe d, into B1, and from the same into B2 through the check-valve in the partition between said compartments.

C represents a separate and distinct chal ber or tank, and is termed the workingchamber or tank. The object of this is to carry a pressure of two hundred to three hundred pounds to the square inch in the chambers or tanks A and B, and to maintain a uniform working pressure in the tank C of not more than twenty to forty pounds to the square inch, varied by setting the spring or scale of the governor according to the general service required to be performed or grades and levels to be overcome. The pressure in the tank C is regulated by means of aI governor placed between the tanks A, B, and C. j' is the feed-pipe between theV supply-tanks A B and the working-tank (l. h is a safetylever, which is lifted by the piston when the pressure in the Working-chamber C has reached the maximum amount of pressure, and cuts off the further supply at the valve t iu the p-ipe f until the pressure is again reduced in the working-chamber C below the maximum pressure, and then the valve t again opens, allowing the supply to be again resumed. To further economize the compressed air and hold it in reserve, each chamber is held in check by check-valves b, and can be let into the chamber A1 from the chambers A2, B1, and B2, by means of pipesfm m and stop-cocks attached to the same, at the will of the engineer as the power diminishes in the chamber A1. a is the pipe supplying the cylinders on the under side of the car.

The air is let in and shut off by means of a globe or throttle valve.

It is found very difficult to construct tanks, tubes, or pipes that will hold air under a high pressure, owing to its escaping through the pores of the iron, rivets, &c. In order to overcome this difficulty, which is a very material one, I coat the inside of all the tanks, reservoirs, pipes, &c., with a composition of varnish and boiled linseed-oil; or by using glue and molasses melted and in proportion to form a compact and elastic paint, to be applied the same as the former; or, in fact, any composition that will stop the pores and seams having enough elasticity to bear the ordinary out Cracking.

Having-thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The tanks or cylinders A and B, arranged, as described, in compartments, and provided with valves and pipes, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination of' the supply-tanks expansion of tanks under the pressure with- A B and working-tank C, constructed, ar-

ranged, and connected together substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. BOWERS. Witnesses:

A. SALMoNs, JOHN BREVARD. 

